Cloth-measuring machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. WINTER.

CLOTH MEASURING MAGHINE.

Patented Jan. 16,1883.

N PETERS. Phulo-Lilhogmphar. Walhmgion. n. c

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. WINTER.

CLOTH MEASURING MACHINE.

No. 270,870. Patented Jan.16,1888.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT WINTER, OF PLAINFIELD,'NEW JERSEY.

CLOTH=MEASURING MACHINE.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,870, dated January 16, 1883, Application filed September 18, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT WINTER, of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Cloth-Measuring Machines, of which the following is a-specification.

Cloth-measuring machines have been made in which there is a roller over which the cloth passes and a smaller roller above and in contact with the cloth, and in other instances the cloth has passed between two rollers, with a spring to press the upper roller upon the cloth. In these instances the measuring is not reliable, because the cloth is not always under the same tension, and the edges may be under too littlestrain and the center be unduly stretched, and an inaccurate measurement will be made. A more serious difficulty, however, arises from the measuring-roller slipping upon the fabric or the fabric failing to turn the roller. This is especiallythe case where the fabric is smooth or glazed upon one side.

The object of my invention is to insure the greatest accuracy in the measurement by gripping the cloth firmly between two rollers that are geared together, so that the surfaces move exactly together. One of these rollers is short, in the form of a measuring-wheel, and it is placed so as to act upon the cloth at or near the middle of the fabric, where the measurement is free from the looseness and stretched condition often existing near the edges of the cloth. I combine with the measuring-wheel dials that indicate feet, inches, yards,or other standards of measurement, and a'separator that prevents the advancing end of the cloth adhering to and wrapping around the roller, and a folding-frame that spreads the cloth in alternate folds to form a pile for convenience of handling.

In the drawings, Figure I is a section transversely through the measuringroller wheel and folding-frame, and Fig. 2 is an elevation.

The frames a a are either of wood or iron; The main shaft bis in bearin gs upon this frame, and it is rotated either by power, with a stop or clutch to arrest the movement as the piece of cloth passes outof the machine, or else the shaft and roller are rotated by a crank-handle, d. The shaft 0 is in spring-bearingsf upon the frame a, and it is connected to the shaft 1) by the gearing-wheels h i in Z. The wheels h and lare of the same size and contain the same number of teeth when the drum orroller c and wheel m are of the same diameter.

The object obtained by gearing the shafts'b and (5 together is that the wheel or and roller '0 may move with exactly the same surface speed.

I prefer to use a roller, 0, and wheel or each of seventy-two inches in circumference, so as to make one revolution every two yards. The springs o'of the springbearingsf press the wheel at toward the roller 0 with whatever force is required, and these springs are adjusted by screws, so as to grip the cloth with the proper force and prevent the cloth slipping asitis drawn through by the revolution of the wheel and roller, and to facilitate this operation I prefer to cover said wheel and roller with cloth.

The dials a o and their hands are employed to indicate the measurement in yards and inches or other standard divisions.

Iplace the gearing between thetwo pairs of dials, the dials of each pair being back to back, with the shaft e between them, and the arbors of the hands passing through both dials, so as to have hands on both ends, in order that the measurement may be read from both sides of the machine. The gearing to connect with the hands is of any suitable kind.

. The cloth from the roll 1 is'to be passed up over the roll 8, down again beneath the roll 1,

thence up between the two tension-bars t, that are supported at their ends in heads t, and held at any place to which they may be adjusted by a pawl, 6. These tension-bars supply more or less resistance or hold-back action to render the cloth uniform and smoothv as it passes up over the roller 0 and is measured and delivered. At the delivery side of the roller 0 the separator-bar s is placed, to

raise up the advancing end of the cloth and prevent its passing on with the roller and wrapping around the same.

The folding-frame is made as a long narrow mouth, with end pieces, a, and side pieces, u u

These are fastened together and pivoted at 8 to the main frame. The outer side piece, a is made higher than the other side, a, so that the cloth as it is separated from the roller 0 may be sure to descend through the foldingframe, and the long opening at the bottom edge is narrower than at the top. This folding-frame is vibrated by the action of a connecting-rod, 2:, extending; to the crank-pin upon the disk t the axis of which is'on the radius-bar Q73, hanging from the frame a. The spring 12 acts to swing the radius-bar and keep the edge of the disk 0 into contact with the roller 0, so that the foldingframe may be swung back and forth and lay the cloth in folds in a pile upon the bed or table a of the machine.

I do not claim two cloth-measuring rollers, nor gearing from one of the roller-shafts to the dials; neither do I claim indicating-dials placed back to back, as these have been used in registers; but 1 I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the roller 0, clothrneasuring wheel m, and shaft in elastic bearings and indicating-dials, of gear-wheels connecting the shafts of the roller and measuringwheel, so as to insure a uniformity of motion in the surfaces of the roller 0 and cloth-measuring wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the roller a, clothmeasuring wheel, elastic bearings, and the respective shafts, of the gear-wheels connecting such shafts, and the indicating-dials, placed in pairs back to back, and their respective hands, so that the measurement can be read from both sides of the machine, as set forth.

3. The combination, in a cloth -measuring machine, of the roller a, measuring wheel m, connecting gearing, dials, arid hands, the separator and the cloth-folding frame, and means for vibrating the same, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 13th day of September, A. D. 1882.

ALBERT WINTER.

Vv'itnesses WILLIAM G. MOTT, HAROLD SERRELL. 

